How can Dry Needling help my injury?

Orthopaedic Trigger Point Dry Needling

Dry Needling is a very successful medical treatment, which uses very thin needles without any medication (a dry needle) to achieve its aims. Dry Needling is used to treat pain and dysfunction caused by muscle problems. Studies have also shown it to treat sinus trouble, headaches, and nerve problems amongst a host of other ailments. Dry needling is especially effective in those areas which are muscle dense, e.g. gluteals and hips. Deep tissue treatment in these areas can sometimes be uncomfortable, tender and can bruise the tissue due to the pressure applied trying to reach the deeper layer of muscles. However, with the dry needling the therapist can go straight to the area that needs to be treated without causing bruising or exquisite tenderness .The benefits of Dry Needling frequently include more than just relief from a particular condition. Many people find that it can also lead to increased energy levels, better appetite and sleep as well as an enhanced sense of overall wellbeing.

How does dry needling work?
Dry needling (also known as trigger point needling) is a scientifically proven form of treatment to treat trigger nerve endings. The needle is inserted into the skin and muscle directly at the myo-fascial trigger point. A myofascial trigger point consists of multiple contraction knots, which are related to production and maintenance of the pain cycle. When the needle is inserted, very often a local twitch response is experienced which is the first step in breaking the pain cycle. After a dry needling treatment the area in the muscle which has been treated feels much softer and relaxed and the person will feel looser. Research has shown that dry needling releases the chemicals which cause pain from the knotted muscle fibres.

Is Dry Needling similar to acupuncture?

There are many similarities and many differences between dry needling and acupuncture. Dry Needling newer, more modern technique then acupuncture. It is not Acupuncture. Acupuncture is part of
the traditional Chinese medicine using principles such as energy flow as its direction for treatment, whereas Dry Needling is strictly based on Western medicine principles and research using the anatomy of the body especially the muscles as its corner stone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is dry-needling safe?

Yes, studies have shown that it is one of the safest forms of medical intervention known. It is far safer than using drugs. Only sterile disposable needles are used.

What can Dry Needling help?

Dry needling can be used for a variety of musculoskeletal problems. Muscles are thought to be a primary contributing factor to the symptoms. Conditions which respond to dry needling include, but are not limited to:

•  Muscle Spasms 
• Headaches
•  Frozen Shoulder
• Tennis elbow
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
•  Golfer's elbow
• Fibromyalgia
• Sciatic Pain
•  Buttock pain
• Leg pain
• Hamstring strains
• Shin splints
• Hip Pain
• Knee Pain
• Repetitive Strain Injuries
• Jaw Pain

Are there any reasons why I should not have dry-needling?

There are very few. If you are taking anticoagulant medicines such as warfarin, or if you have skin infections near the trigger points, then needling should not be used. Obesity and pregnancy are also contraindications to dry needling.

Where do you find Trigger Points and Myofascial Pain?

Just about anywhere! In the muscles across the shoulders and in the neck they are a common cause of persistent headache. In the spine they cause back pain and in the buttock muscles cause hip and leg pain. Around the knee they cause pain referred to the knee and around the elbow they often cause pain similar to tennis elbow. They are a very common cause of shoulder pain.

Are the needles sterile? Yes, we only use sterile disposable needles.

Does dry-needling hurt?

The needle is so sharp and thin you will not feel it enter your skin. The twitch or Local Twitch Response elicits a very brief (less than a second) painful response. Some patients describe this as a little electrical shock; others feel it more like a cramping sensation. The therapeutic response occurs with the elicitation of the Local Twitch Responses and that is the desirable reaction. The amount of pain felt seems to vary from person to person, but almost everyone agrees the relief of pain from the treatment is well worth the "investment".

 

What side effect can I expect after treatment?

Most patients report muscle soreness after the procedure over the area treated and into the areas of the referred symptoms. Typically, the soreness lasts between a few hours and two days. Some people may be very tired after the treatment.

What should I do after Dry Needling?

Our recommendations vary depending on the soreness you have on the individual response to the treatment. You might find icing the area will help or by stretching the treated muscle as much as possible, 10 seconds by 3 at a time.

How long does it take for a procedure to work?

Typically, it takes several visits for a positive reaction to take place. Again, we are trying to cause mechanical and biomechanical changes without any pharmacological means. Therefore, we are looking for a cumulative response to achieve a certain threshold after which the pain cycle is disturbed.

Why is my doctor not familiar with dry needling?

Dry Needling is a relatively new method for treating myo-fascial pain and not everyone is already aware of the effective modality.

How does dry needling fit into Physical therapy?

Dry Needling is a new and effective way of treating pain. As it is based on the anatomy of the muscles

Of the body, dry needling synchronizes with physical therapy treatment perfectly.

 

Personally i feel dry needling and soft tissue work well together to loosen up the tight muslce and help reduce any pain.

For more information contact our galway clinic Phone: 0861957378 | Email : darren@sportsinjurytherapy.ie

www.sportsinjurytherapy.ie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sports Massage helps speed up recovery

Sports Massage does more than make you feel good!

Evidence that a good post-ride rub down helps your muscles recover.

We all love a good massage especially after a long day in the saddle. Not only does it feel great, but it benefits the body too, although just how much it benefits the body is still questioned among some sports science sceptics.

But it seems, according to a new study, we may have an answer for some of the sceptics. Researchers from McMasters University have delved deeper into physiological changes that occur in the muscles during massage and found that biomechanical sensors are triggered that send inflammation reducing signals to muscles cells. The researchers discovered that a 10-minute massage can not only help tired cycling legs, but aid inflammation-related chronic conditions such as arthritis and muscular dystrophy. In addition, massage signals muscle to build more mitochondria, the power centres of cells that play important role in healing. “The main thing, and what is novel about our study, is that one he’s never looked inside the muscle to see what is happening with the massage” says Justin Crane, a doctoral student in the Department of Kinesiology at Master. “No one looked at the biochemical effects or what might be going on in the muscle itself. We have shown the muscle senses that it is being stretched and this appears to reduce the cells. As a consequence, massage may be beneficial for recovery from injury”.

McMaster’s study followed 11 men in their 20s, and instructed them to cycle for more than 70 minutes, to the point of exhaustion, following a 10-minute rest. In these 10 minutes, a massage therapist performed a massage on one leg, using a variety of techniques, commonly used in rehabilitation. Muscle biopsies were done on both legs and repeated 2.5 hours later.

The researcher’s results found reduced inflammation in only the massaged leg. “I didn’t think that little bit of massage could produce that remarkable a change, especially since the exercise was so robust. Seventy minutes of exercise compared to 10 of a massage, it is clearly potent,” says Crane.

These results, although only in the developmental stage, hint that massage therapy blunts muscle pain by the same biological mechanisms as most pain medications and could be effective alternative to them. Crane believes this study is the first step in determining the best therapies for promoting recovery from a variety of muscle injuries.

Excerpt of article from Cycling Fitness Magazine www.cyclingweekly.co.uk

For a post Recovery Massage Contact

Darren Macfarlane Sports Injury Clinic on 086 1957378

www.sportsinjurytherapy.ie

Kinesio Tape Keeps Athletes on the playing Field

Kinesio Tape Keeps Athletes on the Playing Field

By Darren Macfarlane, Sports Injury & Rehabilitation Specialist, Certified in Clinical Kinesiology Taping

Every wondered what the strange bright pink coloured tape you have seen on sports Athletes is, well this is Kinesio tape. Kinesio tape has been used by athletes from Lance Armstrong to David Beckham.

Kinesio Tape exploded into popularity and public eye when 50,000 rolls were donated to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and athletes wearing the bright pink, blue or black tape were on shown on TV. Since then is it being used by Sports Therapist, Physiotherapist, Physical Therapists, and now you more likely to see it on the playing field and running track.

It was developed in the 1970s in Japan by Dr Kenzo Kase who was looking for a tape that would heal injured tissue. He found that traditional taping methods provided muscle and joint support but reduced the range of motion, compressed fascia, and restricted movement of fluid thereby inhibiting the healing process. Through his clinical experience he found that joint pain resulted from abnormality of muscles and myo-fascial tissues around the joint rather than the joint itself. With this understanding he developed Kinesio Taping to correct abnormalities of muscles and myo-fascial tissues. The popularity of Kinesio tape is due to its elastic and non-restrictive nature.

There are specific techniques to apply the tape that allows the tape be used for multiple purposes. Its uses include:

·         Pain relief

·         Relax tight muscles

·         Speed up the removal of swelling and bruising

·         Normalise muscle function

·         To correct the misalignment of joints and tissues

·         Providing sensory feedback for postural awareness and alignment

How does the Kinesio Taping method work?

When a muscle is inflamed, swollen, or stiff, the space between the skin and muscle is compressed, which restricts the flow of lymphatic fluid. This compression applies pressure to the pain receptors beneath the skin, which in turn relays signals of discomfort to the brain resulting in the sensation of pain.

The tape works by lifting the skin, and it is this increased space between the skin and muscle helps reduce pain by taking pressure off pain receptors. This also helps reduce swelling, increase circulation Pain relief is often instant.

The tape is applied by your therapist directly over the muscle when the muscle is stretched and then returning the muscle to a neutral position, the tape forms wrinkles in the skin.

When the tape is applied, athletes will often be able to notice a difference between a taped muscle on one side and the non-taped muscle on the other side. They often report a feeling of lightness. Because the tape is flexible and applied while the muscle is stretched to its end range it does not affect flexibility or range of movement and can be worn during sporting activities. It is breathable, and can be worn for 4-5 days without coming off in the shower or due to sweat.

There is no difference in the different coloured tapes. As well as pink, blue and black, the tape also comes in beige. At present there aren’t many clinical studies into the effectiveness of Kinesio tape and we don’t entirely know at this time why the kinesiology taping techniques are so effective.

From my own experience in the clinic I think it is great tool to help athletes rehabilitate quicker.

So when would you consider using the tape:

• If you have a muscle that is niggling when training or racing and you want to support it so you can keep on going.
• If you have an injury with swelling or bruising, taping will clear this quicker than non-taping as it will lift the skin and encourage its removal 24hrs a day. This would be important where the swelling or bruising is restricting your range of movement, or causing you pain affecting training, racing or your daily life
• If you have an issue with a joint, for example the kneecap is not tracking correctly in its groove, Kinesio tape applied for the duration of a training session or race may give some pain relief.

Like with all things, the Kinesio tape is not a magic formula and has best effects when combined with a treatment and rehabilitation program.

Contact me at our Galway Clinic for treatment & Kineiso tape application on 086 1957378.

 

www.sportsinjurytherapy.ie

Carbohydrate Loading for Endurance Sports

Carbohydrate Loading in preparation for the Dublin Marathon


Darren Macfarlane Sports Injury Clinic, Galway.

What is a Carbohydrate?

Carbohydrate is the body’s prime fuel source when it is physically active. Carbohydrates are a group of complex compounds consisting of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and include both sugars and starches. When carbohydrate is broken down in the body it is stored as glycogen in the liver and the muscles. Glycogen is the most readily available and efficient source of energy used in any vigorous activity such as running. Inadequate glycogen may limit performance in endurance events lasting more than 90 minutes. Depletion of muscles glycogen is associated with the onset of fatigue. The athlete must then use fat as the primary source of energy with a subsequent reduction in the level of intensity of exercise (you will slow down during race)

'Carbohydrate loading' is probably one of the most misunderstood terms in sports nutrition. People commonly think anyone involved in sport needs to 'carb up' and the way to do this is to eat 'flat out' in the days leading up to an event. Read on to get the facts on carbohydrate loading.

What is carbohydrate loading?

Carbohydrate loading is a strategy involving changes to training and nutrition that can maximize muscle glycogen (carbohydrate) stores prior to endurance competition.

It has been used to since the 1960s as a nutritional strategy to enhance endurance performance lasting more than 90 minutes. Today’s modern day loading has changed since then due to ongoing research and is now more manageable for athletes. Today, 1-4 days of exercise taper while following a high carbohydrate diet (7-12g/kg body weight) is sufficient to elevate muscle glycogen levels. The aim is to boost glycogen stores by optimizing the use of carbohydrate as a fuel source. This is seen to extend endurance by increasing the ability of the body to use carbohydrate as a fuel source.

Does carbohydrate loading improve performance?

With carbohydrate loading it is possible to increase glycogen stores by 20 per cent above normal .This extra supply of carbohydrate has been demonstrated to improve endurance exercise by allowing athletes to exercise at their optimal pace for a longer time. It is estimated that carbohydrate loading can improve performance over a set distance by 2-3%.

Who should carbohydrate load?

Anyone exercising continuously at a moderate to high intensity for 90 minutes or longer is likely to benefit from carbohydrate loading. Typically, sports such as cycling, marathon running, longer distance triathlon will benefit from carbohydrate loading. Shorter-term exercise is unlikely to benefit as the body's usual carbohydrate stores are adequate. Carbohydrate loading is generally not practical to achieve in team sports where games are played every 3-4 days.







What does a high carbohydrate diet look like?

The following diet is suitable for a 70kg athlete aiming to carbohydrate load:

Breakfast 3 cups of low-fibre breakfast cereal with 11/2 cups of reduced fat milk


1 medium banana


250ml orange juice


Snack toasted muffin with honey


500ml sports drink


Lunch 2 sandwiches (4 slices of bread) with filling as desired


200g tub of low-fat fruit yoghurt


375ml can of soft drink


Snack banana smoothie made with low-fat milk, banana and honey


cereal bar


Dinner 1 cup of pasta sauce with 2 cups of cooked pasta


3 slices of garlic bread


2 glasses of cordial


Late Snack toasted muffin and jam


500ml sports drink

This sample plan provides ~ 14,800 kJ, 630 g carbohydrate, 125 g protein and 60 g fat.


What are the common mistakes made when carbohydrate loading?

Research indicates that many athletes who attempt to carbohydrate load, fail to achieve their goal. Common mistakes include:

• Carbohydrate loading requires an exercise taper. Athletes can find it difficult to back off training for 1-4 days before competition. Failing to rest will compromise carbohydrate loading. If you train hard right up to competitions this will deplete glycogen stores and it will be pointless in carbohydrate loading.

• Many athletes fail to eat enough carbohydrate. It seems athletes don't have a good understanding of the amount of food required to carbohydrate load. Working with a sports dietitian or using a carbohydrate counter can be useful.

• In order to consume the necessary amount of carbohydrate, it is necessary to cut back on fibre and make use of compact sources of carbohydrate such as sugar, cordial, soft drink, sports drink, jam, honey, jelly and tinned fruit. Athletes who include too many high fibre foods in their carbohydrate loading menu may suffer stomach upset or find the food too bulky to consume.

• Carbohydrate loading will most likely cause body mass to increase by approximately 2kg. This extra weight is due to extra muscle glycogen and water. For some, a fear of weight gain may prevent them from carbohydrate loading adequately.

• Athletes commonly use carbohydrate loading as an excuse to eat everything and anything in sight. Consuming too many high fat foods will make it difficult to consume sufficient carbohydrate & may result in gain of body fat. Stick to high-carbohydrate; low-fat foods while carbohydrate loading.

A word of caution: always experiment with any new nutritional or training technique in training before trying it in competition.

Good luck with the Marathon Running, don’t forget to have a post-race Sports Massage to relieve those aching muscles. If you have any pre-race niggles don’t ignore them, give our Galway Clinic a call on 086 1957378

http://www.sportsinjurytherapy.ie/

Injury Prevention & Recovery Tips for Galway Bay Half Marathon

Darren Macfarlane Sports injury Therapy Clinic is located at Lower Abbeygate Street, Galway and provides sports injury treatment, sports massage and rehabilitation programmes.

In the run up to the Galway Bay Half Marathon Darren shares his tips on how to prevent injury during the lead up to the big day and recovery tips following the event.

One of the most important aspects of training for any Marathon is to slowly build up endurance for the long distances while staying injury free. The last thing you want to happen is that after signing up you become unable to compete on the day due to injury.

Warm up

A proper warm up is a key component to preparing the body for the demands of any training session or competition. Developing a pre-race warm up is unique to each individual. Performing a warm up will elevate heart rate, VO2, and increase blood flow to the connective tissue and local muscles to be trained. This in turn will raise muscle temperature and help decrease joint and muscle stiffness, therefore improving range of motion. Warm-up periods of five to 15 minutes are recommended. Warm muscles are less susceptible to injuries and a proper warm up is essential for injury prevention. As part of the warm up you should incorporate some dynamic stretching.

Cool Down

Incorporating a proper cool down will help clear lactic acid from muscles and prevent muscle soreness. This should be a low intensity light jog. Just like the exercise began with a stretching routine it should end with one. Warm down stretch’s should be static stretch’s. Stretching is key to preventing nagging soreness. Stretching thoroughly before a training session is important, but stretching afterwards is key to helping muscles recover from the strain and stress.

Incorporate Recovery Techniques:

There are a number of ways to incorporate recovery into your routine. Bio foam rollers and massage sticks help sore, achy or stiff muscles recover from exercise. The most important piece of stretching equipment you can own is a foam roller. Foam rolling helps sore achy or stiff muscles recover from exercise. You can roll out knots in muscles and serves as a sort of deep tissue massage that you can do on yourself. Be sure to hit IT bands, your lower back and your calf’s. Foam rolling should be done after stretching.

Because of the pounding that your joints can take over the course of a long run, icing your sore spots – particularly knees or hips – can prevent inflammation and next-day soreness. After a long run, you can simply jump into the sea or a cold river or take an ice bath or wrap your legs with cold wraps. Ice naturally reduces swelling and aids muscles in healing. Having an ice pack in the freezer is handy to treat any strains or aches.


Have Regular Sports Massage

Sports massages are critical to muscle recovery. Most people find scheduling appointments on the lighter training days more beneficial. This is mainly because it enables the therapist to treat any specific muscular tightness allowing a couple of day’s recovery before the long training session on Sundays.

Alternatively some athletes enjoy having the massage following their longer training session to allow them to maximize their training performances throughout the week.

It is suggested that whilst people are training for a half marathon they receive weekly mas-sages. It is especially important to have massage towards the build up to the longer training weeks prior to the race. It is also wise to have a massage a few days before an event to loosen up the muscles and relax the athlete as part of the final week preparations for the race .It is also as valuable to receive massage as soon as possible following the race, as this helps to improve the recovery rate and reduces the intensity of delayed muscle soreness (DOMS) experienced 1-3 days post event.

Stick to a Healthy Diet

Pay attention to your diet. Not fuelling yourself correctly or overeating can lead to real problems. You need to be sure that you are getting enough protein and iron to allow your body to recover. Food is the fuel that helps you compete. Bad fuel can lead to bad results. Taking in protein following long workouts is also crucial to helping muscles recover. The goal of post-exercise nutrition is to restore muscle and liver glycogen stores, improve hydration and help those sore legs get the nutrients they need to recover and get stronger and more importantly to repair muscle tissue. You should eat 15 to 30 minutes after a long workout, preferably as soon as possible, when the muscles are most receptive to fuel. Muscle replenishment and tissue repair can be accelerated if you combine carbohydrates and protein together in a ratio of 4 to 1. You will also need Increase your consumption of carbohydrate during periods of heavy training

Footwear

Good footwear provides protection from impact and supports the foot and ankle. Make sure your footwear fits well and has enough Cushing for absorbing impacts. Make sure it has a good sole for traction on the surface and that it is suitable for Running. The wrong type of shoe can increase the risk of various injuries including blisters and Shin Splints .Don‘t wear regular runners when running. Professionally fitted shoes designed for running will support your feet and reduce your risk of injury. Take your old runners with you when purchasing new ones so the salesperson can identify where your shoes wear the most and choose the right footwear to suit your feet. Replace your running shoes frequently. Shock absorbing capability will diminish gradually and may be inadequate after 350 to 550 miles. The upper of the shoe may not show much wear, but the shock absorption may still be gone. If you are running 20 miles per week, you should be replacing your shoes between 4 and 8 months depending upon your shock absorption needs. It is always cheaper to replace shoes than having months of treatment for a running injury. Properly fitting running shoes can help prevent injuries. Look for light-weight shoes that breathe well and offer good arch and ankle support also with good shock absorbing capacity to help in injury prevention.

Listen to Your Body

Finally, listen to your body. Over the many miles of half marathon training, your ability to tell the difference between soreness and the beginnings of a possible injury will become more finely tuned. If there is nagging pain in a joint or muscle, vary your workout schedule or take a day or two of rest. Swimming is obviously low impact and is a good way to keep fitness up while giving your tired legs a break. If you are hurt, you won’t be able to stick to your training schedule. So, focus on staying healthy and then work on keeping up with the training. If you have sore shins when you run or back pain, don't ignore those symptoms. Treat even seemingly minor injuries very carefully to prevent them becoming a big problem for you.

Recovery days reduce injury rates by giving muscles and connective tissues an opportunity to repair between training. Plan a day of rest once a week into your training schedule. It will not hurt your performance, but will actually help it and is critical in muscle recovery. Athletes with high consecutive days of training, have more injuries. While many athletes think the more they train, the better they'll play, this is a misconception. Rest is a critical component of proper training. Rest can make you stronger and prevent injuries of overuse, fatigue and poor judge-ment. Avoid training when you are tired if you experience pain when training STOP your training session immediately.



Contact Darren at our Galway Clinic on 086 1957378 for a pre Galway Bay Half Marathon sports massage and post-Race recovery massage.

http://www.sportsinjurytherapy.ie/

Injury Prevention & Recovery Tips For Ironman 70.3 Galway

Injury Prevention & Recovery Tips for the Ironman 70.3 Galway


Darren Macfarlane Sports injury Therapy Clinic is located at Lower Abbeygate Street, Galway and provides sports injury treatment, sports massage and rehabilitation programmes.

In the run up to the Ironman 70.3 Galway Darren shares his tips on how to prevent injury during the lead up to the big day and recovery tips following the event.

One of the most important aspects of training for any ironman is to slowly build up endurance for the long distances while staying injury free. The last thing you want to happen is that after signing up you are unable to compete on the day due to injury.

Warm up

A proper warm up is a key component to preparing the body for the demands of any training session or competition. Developing a pre-race warm up is unique to each individual. Performing a warm up will elevate heart rate, VO2, and increase blood flow to the connective tissue and local muscles to be trained. This in turn will raise muscle temperature and help decrease joint and muscle stiffness, therefore improving range of motion. Warm-up periods of five to 15 minutes are recommended. Warm muscles are less susceptible to injuries and proper warm up is essential for injury prevention. As part of the warm up incorporate with proper dynamic stretching.

Cool Down

Incorporating a proper cool down will help clear lactic acid from muscles and prevent muscle soreness. This could be a low intensity light jog or cycle. Just like the exercise began with a stretching routine it should end with one. Warm down stretch’s should be static stretch’s. Stretching is key to preventing nagging soreness. Stretching thoroughly before a training session is important, but stretching afterwards is key to helping muscles recover from the strain and stress.

Incorporate Recovery Techniques:

There are a number of ways to incorporate recovery into your routine. Bio foam rollers and massage sticks help sore, achy or stiff muscles recover from exercise. The most important piece of stretching equipment you can own is a foam roller. Foam rolling helps sore achy or stiff muscles recover from exercise. You can roll out knots in muscles and serves as a sort of deep tissue massage that you can do on yourself. Be sure to hit IT bands, your lower back and your calf’s. Foam rolling should be done after stretching.

Because of the pounding that your joints can take over the course of a long run or even bike ride, icing your sore spots – particularly knees or hips – can prevent inflammation and next-day soreness. After a long run, you can simply jump into the sea or a cold river or take an ice bath or wrap your legs with cold wraps. Ice naturally reduces swelling and aids muscles in healing. Having an ice pack in the freezer is handy to treat any strains or aches.







Have Regular Sports Massage

Sports massages are critical to muscle recovery. Most people find scheduling appointments on the lighter training days more beneficial. This is mainly because it enables the therapist to treat any specific muscular tightness allowing a couple of day’s recovery before the long training session on Sundays.

Alternatively some athletes enjoy having the massage following their longer training session to allow them to maximize their training performances throughout the week.

It is suggested that whilst people are training for the Ironman they receive weekly massages. It is especially important to have massage towards the build up to the longer training weeks prior to the Ironman event. It is wise also a few days before the event to have a massage to loosen up the muscles and relax the athlete as part of the final week preparations for the event .It is also valuable to receive massage as soon as possible following the event. As this helps to improve the recovery rate and reduces the intensity of delayed muscle soreness (DOMS) experienced 1-3 days post event.



Stick to a Healthy Diet

Pay attention to your diet. Not fuelling yourself correctly or overeating can lead to real prob-lems. You need to be sure that you are getting enough protein and iron to allow your body to recover. Food is the fuel that helps you compete. Bad fuel can lead to bad results. Taking in protein following long workouts is also crucial to helping muscles recover. The goal of post-exercise nutrition is to restore muscle and liver glycogen stores, improve hydration and help those sore legs get the nutrients they need to recover and get stronger and more importantly to repair muscle tissue. You should eat 15 to 30 minutes after a long workout, preferably as soon as possible, when the muscles are most receptive to fuel. Muscle replenishment and tissue repair can be accelerated if you combine carbohydrates and protein together in a ratio of 4 to 1. You will also need Increase your consumption of carbohydrate during periods of heavy training

Listen to Your Body

Finally, listen to your body. Over the many miles of Ironman training, your ability to tell the difference between soreness and the beginnings of a possible injury will become more finely tuned. If there is nagging pain in a joint or muscle, vary your workout schedule or take a day or two of rest. Swimming is obviously low impact and is a good way to keep working on one of the triathlon disciplines while giving your tired legs a break. If you are hurt, you won’t be able to stick to your training schedule. So, focus on staying healthy and then work on keeping up with the training. If you have sore shins when you run or a stiff neck when you bike, don't ignore those symptoms. Treat even seemingly minor injuries very carefully to prevent them becoming a big problem.

Recovery days reduce injury rates by giving muscles and connective tissues an opportunity to repair between training. Plan a day of rest once a week into your training schedule. It will not hurt your performance, but will actually help it and is critical in muscle recovery. Athletes with high consecutive days of training, have more injuries. While many athletes think the more they train, the better they'll play, this is a misconception. Rest is a critical component of proper training. Rest can make you stronger and prevent injuries of overuse, fatigue and poor judge-ment. Avoid training when you are tired if you experience pain when training STOP your training session immediately.



Contact our Galway Clinic on 086 1957378 for a pre event sports massage and post event recovery massage
http://www.sportsinjurytherapy.ie/